Strange Bedfellows

Jeffrey Ball in today's Wall Street Journal-- in addition to having the good sense to link to Warming Law-- notes that California has been getting some interesting backing in its fight with the EPA:

What's bringing the other industries into this fight is simple self-interest. California's plan to curb greenhouse-gas emissions from cars and trucks is part of a broader campaign by the state to cut those emissions across its economy 25% by 2020. If the state fails to get a federal waiver to force emissions cuts from auto makers, it would likely shift more of the burden to other industries.

That's why Pacific Gas & Electric Co., a unit of San Francisco-based PG&E Corp., is supporting California's waiver request. "PG&E's customers have a vital interest in ensuring that all sectors of our economy -- including the transportation sector -- contribute their fair share toward achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions," the utility wrote to the EPA in June.

The oil industry hasn't taken a formal position in California's fight against the EPA, but it also isn't opposing the state's goals.

Utilities aren't the only unusual suspects that have argued in California's favor-- we recently discovered that back in June, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), a presidential candidate with strong libertarian views, wrote EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to support California's request. Paul's position is a bit more principled-- despite his general preference for market-based solutions, his understanding of Mass. v. EPA and his support of federalism decided the issue in his mind-- but nonetheless worth noting.